Finger-mounted tweezers



6 E. G. SMITH 3,293,958

FINGER-MOUNTED TWEEZERS Filed April 16, 1965 INVENTOR ELK/@065 G 5/14/ 7' United States Patent 3,293,958 FINGER-MOUNTED TWEEZERS Elbridge G. Smith, 2824 W. Fort St.,

Detroit, Mich. 48202 Filed Apr. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 448,771 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 81-43) This invention relates to implements for holding and supporting small objects, and more particularly to fingermounted tweezer devices.

An object of the invention is to provide novel and improved implements for holding, supporting or manipulating small objects in a manner that has been heretofore practiced by means of tweezers, the implements being arranged to be mounted on the ends of the users fingers so as to serve as finger extensions designed to function in the same manner as tweezers, but providing more positive control, improved ease of manipulation, and being especially useful in the repair, assembling or dismantling of small or delicate mechanisms.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved finger-mounted tweezer implements which are inexpensive to fabricate, which are easily adjustable in length and direction, which are comfortable to wear and which are durable in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a pair of implements according to the present invention, shown mounted in working positions on the users fingers.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view taken through one of the tweezer implements employed in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the implement of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing portions of one of the tweezer implements of FIGURES 1 to 3, said portions being shown in separated positions.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through a modified form of tweezer implement adapted to be mounted on a finger, in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 4, a pair of tweezer implements according to the present invention are designated respectively at 11, 11. Each tweezer implement 11 comprises a main body portion 12 of metal or other suitable rigid material, said main body portion being concavely-recessed and contoured to receive the end of a users finger, the inside surface of said main body portion being provided with a resilient deformable lining 13 of rubber or other suitable cushioning material. The main body portion 12 is provided with a forwardly-projecting arm 14 formed with a flattened lug 15 having a longitudinal slot 16 therein, as shown in FIGURE 4. Adjustably secured to the lug 16 is an arcuately-curved tweezer prong 17, said tweezer prong having a tapered curved tip 18 at its forward end and being formed with a longitudinally-extending notch or slot 19 at its rear end in which the lug 16 is receivable, the top arm defined by slot 19 being provided with an aperture 20 adapted to receive a clamping screw 21, the bottom arm having a tapped opening in which the screw 21 is threadedly engageable, so that when the screw 21 is tightened, the prong 17 will be rigidly locked to the lug 15 in a desired adjusted position. i

A concavely-recessed body member 22 is rigidly secured at 23 to the extension 14, as by welding or the like, the member 22 being in opposing relation to the main body portion 12 and defining therewith a cavity to re- 3,293,958 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 ice ceive the end portion of a users finger. The member 22 is likewise provided with an inside lining 24 of rubber or other suitable resiliently deformable material, similar to the lining 13 provided on the inside surface of the main body member 12.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the opposing members 22 and 12 define a recess or cavity adapted to receive the end portion of a users finger. The member 22 is formed of suitable generally rigid material, but having a degree of yieldability, so that it is slightly yieldable when a finger is inserted therein, and exerts spring force on the finger to retain the implement fastened thereon Thus, the member 22 may be formed of resilient sheet metal and may be of somewhat lesser thickness than the main body member 12, as shown in FIGURE 2. The connection 23 at the forward end of the member 22 allows for substantial resiliency of the remainder of member 22 with respect to said connection.

As above-mentioned, the tapered forwardly-extending prong 17 is adjustable not only angularly relative to the lug 15, but also longitudinally so that when a pair of tweezer implements 11, 11 are mounted on the thumb 25 and forefinger 26 of the users hand, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1, the prong elements 17 may be adjusted so that their tips 18 can cooperate with each other to manipulate or grasp delicate and slender objects with perfect control thereof by the user.

Because of the yieldability of the members 22 with respect to the main body portions 12 of the tweezer de-' vices, the tweezer devices may be readily slipped over the ends of the users fingers and will be retained thereon as long as required. When the required operations have been completed, the tweezer implements can be quickly and easily removed from the users fingers merely by slipping them off.

Referring now to the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, a typical modified tweezer implement is designated generally at 11'. The implement 11 comprises a rubber sleeve 12' in which is secured a stern member 13', said stem member projecting from the forward end of the elastic sleeve 12', as shown in FIGURE 6. The exposed forward end portion of the stern member 13' is formed with a lug 15, as previously described and as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the lug being longitudinally slotted and being received in the longitudinal slot 19 of a prong member 17 and said prong member being adjustably clamped on the lug by means of a clamping screw 21. The clamping screw 21 engages through the end of the prong member 17 and the slot of lug 15 in the same manner as previously described, being threadedly engaged in one of the arms defined by the slot 19. Thus, the prong element 17 may be clamped in a desired adjusted position in the same manner as previously described in connection with the tweezer implements shown in FIGURES 1 to 4.

The inside surface of the elastic sleeve 12' is provided with a protective lining element 24 of thin rubber or other suitable resilient deformable cushioning material which overlies and covers the inner end portion of the stem 13, as shown in FIGURE 6. A pair of tweezer implements 11', 11' may be engaged on the thumb and forefinger of the users hand in the same manner as described in connection with the form of the invention of FIGURES l to 4, with the tweezer prong elements 17 in opposing cooperating relationship, the sleeve elements 12' frictionally engaging the ends of the users fingers and being thus retained thereon. As in the previously described form of the invention, the ends of the fingers may be readily slipped into the sleeves 12' when the implements are to be used, and may be readily disengaged therefrom at the end of such use.

While certain specific embodiments of finger-carried tweezer implements have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention, except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pair of tweezer implements adapted to be mounted on a users fingers, each implement comprising a resilient elongated, concavely-recessed receiving portion contoured to receive and substantially cover and resiliently grasp the end of a finger, an elongated rigid lug projecting longitudinally forwardly from said receiving portion, said lug being formed with a longitudinal slot, and a tweezer prong pivotally connected to said lug at said slot.

2. A pair of tweezer implements adapted to be mounted on users fingers, each implement comprising a resilient receiving portion adapted to receive and resiliently grasp the end of a finger, an elongated lug projecting forwardly from said receiving portion, said lug being formed with a longitudinal slot, a tweezer prong formed with an end notch receiving said lug, and a clamping screw engaged through the end of the prong and through said notch, said screw being threadedly engaged in the end of the prong for clamping the prong in an angularly and longitudinally-adjusted position relative to the lug.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Examiner. 

1. A PAIR OF TWEEZER IMPLEMENTS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A USER''S FINGERS, EACH IMPLEMENT COMPRISING A RESILIENT ELONGATED, CONCAVELY-RECESSED RECEIVING PORTION CONTOURED TO RECEIVE AND SUBSTANTIALLY COVER ND RESILIENTLY GRASP THE END OF A FINGER AN ELONGATED RIGID LUG PROJECTING LONGITUDINALLY FORWARDLY FROM SAID RECEIVING PORTION, SAID LUG BEING FORMED WITH A LONGITUDINAL SLOT, AND A TWEEZER PRONG PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID LUG AT SAID SLOT. 